Agroecological peasant agriculture: base of food and energy sovereignty

Abstract

We are facing a “trend” of international demand and Brazilian demand for ethanol that causes
sugarcane cultivation and ethanol production to expand through investments (national, Brazilian
and international) in the North of the Eastern Region of Paraguay, expanding from the
traditional departments of production of sweet cane such as Guairá, Cordillera and Paraguarí.
The fundamental question to formulate our research hypothesis is: Could the production of
ethanol from sweet cane be based on more sustainable models by promoting and strengthening
the agroecological model of production with the small properties of peasant family farming?
The article was based on the results of a study that the author carried out for FAO and
the Ministry of Agrarian Development - MDA of Brazil between 2013-2014.